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A year ago, the future of punk trio Die! Die! Die! was in doubt but the band came through their difficulties with a new lease of life. Gavin Bertram reports.

Andrew Wilson has been back from a European tour less than fortnight, and he's struggling with normality.

The vocalist/guitarist with punk band Die! Die! Die! said coming home is always difficult as the movable party of the tour recedes from view.

November's tour was the best the band has done, Wilson said, with audiences across Europe responding to the music as never before.

''This trip was just crazy. Something I've never really experienced before, other than in New Zealand and Australia with everyone singing along. It was really amazing and humbling.''

And yet it may never have happened as last December Die! Die! Die! looked like history.

Having formed in Dunedin in 2003, the band toured the globe relentlessly but the tiring schedule and revolving bass player position left Wilson and drummer Michael Prain wondering if they should continue. But their manager, Manu Taylor, booked them a show and insisted they get a band together for it.

In the middle of this year they released their fourth album Harmony, recorded with previous bassist Lachlan Anderson.

Their albums have been released on labels including Flying Nun and Capital Records but this time around Die! Die! Die! has released the album on its Records Etcetera imprint.

''For the very first time we've seen money from our records,'' Wilson said. ''Not much but at least something. Actually, Capital who released the first album deserve an honourable mention - they paid more than what they got. When we started Die! Die! Die! the idea was to release our own records but we got too busy.''

The band has already started thinking about the follow-up to Harmony, and were writing songs last week for a future release. Wilson thinks that will be some time early next year.

Meanwhile, they have a host of New Zealand shows over the summer, before Europe beckons again.

Wilson hasn't been home to Dunedin lately and is looking forward to visiting for the band's show at Chicks Hotel later this month.

''I can't wait to get down there and see all my friends and stuff,'' he said.